Little Girl Found
by SouthernBlossom
Summary: Lissa has stumbled upon the Cullen family while passing through Washington. Has she finally found a 'forever' home, or will her past complicate matters? May contain CP / spanking.
1. Chapter 1

**I've had this chapter sitting around for nearly a year, unsure of exactly where to go with it. I figured I'd go ahead and post it, and maybe some feedback will help me along. Please take a moment to let me know what you think of the chapter. - SB  
**

* * *

She was silent as she soared from the tree, incapacitating her prey in a fraction of a second. She preferred to feed after knowing that her "food" had been put out of its misery, or in the least rendered unconscious. It seemed more humane that way, reducing the animal's suffering before she took its life.

As usual, the taste was off, but the alternative wasn't really an alternative for her. She refused to feed on her "natural food source," as others of her kind had referred to the human population. Just because she'd been doomed to this existence as a monster, didn't mean she had to act like a monster.

Lissa had been a "monster" for… well, a while. She wasn't sure how long, although she could probably guess considering how many summers and winters she'd experienced since her transformation. Since that fateful autumn day, Lissa had kept to herself as she wandered the forests of North America, never staying in one place for long and _never_ interacting with humans. It wasn't that she preferred to be alone; no, Lissa simply wanted to ensure she was never tempted enough to feed on a human. She couldn't risk that, no matter how lonely she felt.

A sudden breeze blew through her hair, and a distinctly sweet scent pulled her from the drained animal as she simultaneously leaped up and spun around, so quickly that no human would've seen the movement. She saw three beings approaching her slowly, two males and a female. The taller of the males had honey-colored hair and wore a cautious expression. The shorter male, though still tall, resembled a linebacker… on steroids. His expression was more amused than cautious.

The female was tiny, close in size to Lissa. Her dark hair was cropped and a little spiky. The look on her face surprised Lissa the most. She seemed excited, in an innocent sort of way.

Lissa stared at the trio as they stopped maybe ten feet from her, unsure of what to think. Their eyes were a golden hue – different from the deep red she'd seen on the others, or the bright red her eyes had been years ago in that shack. It had been the first and last time since awakening that she'd dared to look in a mirror. She hadn't ever wanted to see those blood red eyes again.

She waited for them to speak. She could've used her gift to send them away, but Lissa crossed paths with her own kind rarely, and she was desperate for interaction with someone, however brief.

She didn't have to wait long, as the pixie-sized female practically bounced forward.

"Hi!"

Lissa offered a tentative smile. "Hi."

"I'm Alice. This is Jasper and Emmett." She gestured to each.

"Lissa," the girl replied in kind. "I-is this your hunting territory? Because if it is, I can go…"

"Nonsense! There are enough animals here for us all."

She tilted her head slightly. "You feed on animals, too?"

"Well of course. Our eyes are the same color as yours. When our kind decide to feed solely on animals, our eyes gradually become a butterscotch color instead of red."

Lissa couldn't help but feel confused. "My eyes… they aren't red anymore?"

Alice frowned. "When's the last time you looked in a mirror?"

"What year is it?" Lissa was curious, as she hadn't set her eyes on a calendar at all since that fateful day.

The frown deepened. "2009."

"About 17 years ago," Lissa replied instantly.

"Seventeen years…?!"

"Alice," the male called Jasper murmured, glancing at the female before looking at Lissa.

She immediately felt a feeling of calm wash over her. Staring at Jasper, Lissa was sure he had something to do with it, though she wasn't sure how.

"You look young," the other one, Emmett, commented. "How old were you when you were changed?"

Lissa briefly wondered if Emmett was as fun as he looked. Sure, she could see how his bulky exterior could come across as intimidating, but his eyes revealed a more childish nature that she figured had to come out every now and then. "Fourteen." Fourteen years, two weeks, two days to be exact. That had been one hell of a Halloween… There were certain facts from her human existence that she'd though about so often after the transformation that she'd retained the memories, even after other human memories had faded.

"A little sister!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement.

"What?" Lissa asked, once again confused.

"It'll be fun! Rose and I can take you shopping… We'll drag Bella along, of course. And you'll meet Edward, Nessie, Carlisle, Esme…"

"Whoa," Lisa said quickly, interrupting Alice. "Hold up there. What are you _talking_ about? Who are these people?"

"The family. Your family."

"Alice."

The disapproval was evident in his voice. It made Lissa nervous, but Alice didn't seem fazed.

"I've seen it, Jazz," she said with confidence. "It works out perfectly."

Lissa addressed Jasper for the first time. "What is she talking about?"

Jasper seemed apologetic. "Please forgive Alice. She can be rather exuberant. Alice has a gift… she can see the outcomes of decisions people make. She saw that you would be here, and she saw you joining our family."

"Your… family…?"

"There are several of us who live together here in Forks."

Alice sighed impatiently, and she actually began to tap her foot. "Let's go! We have a lot to do!"

"Alice, you haven't even asked her if she wants to come." Jasper was obviously the voice of reason, and it was more than apparent that he was used to reeling Alice in. Exuberant had been an understatement. Lissa briefly wondered why Emmett hadn't said anything else – an amused smirk was playing on his lips.

"Well of course she does! She doesn't want to spend the next seventeen years wandering around North America alone." Alice arched one eyebrow at Lissa. "Do you?"

How did she answer a question like that? Of course she didn't want to be alone. These last seventeen years had been hard on her, not having any "family," so to speak. The problem was, she didn't know these "people." While she had prided herself on being able to tell whether someone's intentions were good or not, they could still be malevolent. Was she willing to take the risk?

Of course, she'd never met any _vampires_ (she shuddered when she thought the word to herself, even though she knew it was what she was) before with eyes that weren't some shade of red. And they'd said her eyes weren't red, either. Did she dare believe them? It would've been so helpful if she had a mirror to check in, to know if Alice was telling the truth.

And then, just like that, Alice was holding out a pocket mirror, as if she could read Lissa's mind.

"How did you…?"

Alice smiled. "I saw that you would be curious but skeptical. Go ahead and take a look."

Lissa took a small breath and held the mirror up to her face. Her hair was a bit of a mess, not surprising considering how she'd been living, but her eyes were the warmest shade of butterscotch she'd ever seen. Even with her wild hair, she was far less scary than she had been that first day.

"They're really not red…"

"No, they're the same shade as ours. Do you believe me now?"

She did believe Alice, at least a little bit. "I'm starting to."

"Are you ready to come with us then? I promise you, you have nothing to fear. It'll only be Edward, Esme, and Rosalie. Carlisle is at work, and Bella and Nessie are out shopping. You won't have to meet everyone at once, and they all know about you already. I shared my vision with them before we left. Everyone is looking forward to meeting you."

Was she ready? They didn't seem to be a threat, and so far, Lissa believed what Alice had said. She'd been right about the eyes. Maybe she'd be right about other things.

"All right," Lissa agreed. "But that doesn't mean I'm ready to move in."

Alice just smiled. "That's okay. You will be."

* * *

As she approached the house, Lissa's apprehension grew. Was she really prepared to meet the rest of this coven? From what Alice had said, it was a large one. Lissa had never heard of a coven of this magnitude, aside from the Volturi. She'd never actually met them, but other nomads had spoken of them. One nomad had mentioned Aro's love for collecting "talents." Since then, Lissa had been careful not to use her talent, unless absolutely necessary. She didn't want to give the Volturi any reason to come find her.

She'd briefly considered using that talent on these different vampires back in the forest, even if it would've put her at risk of the Volturi finding out about her.

She watched as Alice danced up to the front door and opened it. Emmett and Jasper disappeared into the house. Alice stood just outside, waiting expectantly for her.

"Come on, Lissa. I promise it'll be okay."

Lissa entered the house at a human pace. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but the large, spacious room wasn't it. It was as if all of the inner walls had been removed to create one great room.

Jasper and Emmett were standing off to the side, and Alice came to stand beside Lissa after closing the door. Three more vampires stood perfectly still in the center of the room. One female, a brunette, had a welcoming expression on her face. The other female, a strikingly beautiful blonde, wore a guarded expression. The male seemed to be concentrating on Lissa in a way that left her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

"Everyone, this is Lissa!" Alice told them, her voice cheerful as ever. "Lissa, this is Esme, our mother for all intents and purposes, and my 'siblings,' Rosalie, and Edward."

"Welcome to our home, Lissa," Esme said with a smile that brought back faded memories of Lissa's mom. "We're glad that you're here."

"Thank you," Lissa murmured with a tentative smile.

"You're from the south," Rosalie remarked. "Somewhere in the southeast, from the sound of your accent…"

Lissa nodded. "Georgia."

"Please don't be offended, dear," Esme pleaded, "but you seem young. How old were you when you were changed?"

"I'm not offended," Lissa answered honestly. "Emmett asked the same thing. I was fourteen."

"So young… Have you been traveling with the vampire who changed you?"

"I… I don't know who changed me. I never saw him… It was dark, and after the fire finally faded, I found I was alone. I've been by myself since."

"And you've never tasted human blood… Amazing. Carlisle will be very excited to meet you."

Lissa turned her attention to Edward, who hadn't spoken until then. "How did you know that?"

"Edward," scolded Esme.

He had the decency to appear abashed. "I'm sorry, Lissa. I forgot you didn't know. Some vampires have extra talents, apart from the heightened speed, strength, and senses that all vampires have. You know already about Alice's talent for seeing future events, and you suspected Jasper's talent of affecting the emotions around him. I am able to hear the thoughts of others, as if they're speaking aloud. I shouldn't have said anything without explaining myself first."

"Oh." Lissa processed this new piece of information as she tried not to think about her own talent. "Do any of the others in your coven have special talents?"

"My wife, Bella, is a mental shield. Mental talents of other vampires, such as my talent, do not work on her unless she allows them to. Our daughter, Renesmee, can project her thoughts onto others. Neither talent is a danger to you, I can assure you." Lissa nodded. "I am aware of your talent, as well. I understand your desire to keep it a secret, and I promise to keep that secret."

Lissa was surprised by this sudden turn of events. He knew, and yet here he was, promising not to tell anyone else. At that moment, Lissa knew she could trust Edward

"Thank you," she told him, her voice sincere.

"Now that everyone's comfortable with everyone, Lissa and I are going upstairs," Alice announced.

Lissa gave Alice a questioning look. "Why are we going upstairs?"

"Well, no offense, but you are in serious need of a shower."

She couldn't help it. She laughed. "No offense taken, but it won't make much of a difference. These are the only clothes I have."

Alice made a dismissive sound and waved her hand. "That won't be a problem. We're practically the same size. I have plenty of clothes that will fit you until we can go shopping. When I'm finished with you, you'll be a whole new Lissa!"

Glancing at the others, Lissa arched an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

Emmett laughed out loud, which made Lissa want to laugh again. His laugh was infectious. As it was, the others chuckled a bit, too.

"Maybe a little," Edward admitted with a smile. "But it'll okay. Alice just has certain opinions about fashion that not everyone else here agrees with. She won't do any real damage."

"In that case, I'm okay with Alice having her fun."

Alice grinned and, taking Lissa by the hand, all but dragged her up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** I realize that this chapter is much shorter than my other chapters have been lately. I didn't mean for it to be so short, but it was the right cut-off place, and I couldn't imagine continuing this chapter any further. I'm sure the next chapter will be longer.

* * *

Lissa studied her reflection in the mirror as Alice brushed her long, golden brown locks. Now that she didn't look like she'd spent nearly two decades living in the wild, she could better appreciate her appearance. She'd been pretty as a human, with eyes the shade of the tropical blue waters one would see in the Caribbean and a sprinkling of light freckles across her nose and cheeks. Of course, as a vampire the freckles and aqua blue eyes were a thing of the past, but Lissa couldn't deny the beauty in her face now. Her face was so smooth, her skin an almost ghoulish pale, her eyes striking in their golden hue. Though she'd never been vain, Lissa was secretly glad that she was at least somewhat attractive, and even more glad that her eyes were no longer blood red.

Alice had given her a flattering outfit to wear, a pale pink sweater dress that fell just above her knees, paired with a pair of black tights and a cute pair of boots, also black. Lissa, a bit of a girly-girl at heart, loved the dress, which seemed to please Alice as the dark-haired pixie muttered about how much easier it would be if Bella shared Lissa's obvious fashion sense.

"Perfect," Alice proclaimed with a self-satisfied smile. "You, Lissa, are beautiful."

"You said there were other members of your coven," Lissa remembered. "Carlisle, Bella, and Nessie… You're sure they'll be all right with my being here?"

"Of course they will!" she exclaimed, as if the mere suggestion were preposterous. "Bella and Nessie are on their way now – they'll be here in ten minutes. Just to let you know, Nessie isn't a full vampire. She's half-vampire and half-human."

Lissa scrunched her face in confusion. "How is that possible?"

"She was conceived while Bella was still a human. So she does have a beating heart. It doesn't bother us as much as smelling a regular human would, because her scent is also half-vampire. It helps to mask the scent of her blood."

The thought made Lissa a little uncomfortable, not knowing if she could handle being around a human. She'd avoided it for so long…

"You'll be fine around her," Alice added with a smile. Lissa wondered how she knew what she'd been thinking, but then she remembered Alice had visions. She must've had a vision of this."

"And Carlisle?" Lissa asked. She was most apprehensive about meeting the coven leader. Alice seemed certain that things would go fine, but even with her gift, could she be absolutely sure?

"He'll be here soon after. His shift is over at the hospital. I promise you, he's looking forward to meeting you anyway, and he'll be even more excited when he hears that you've been a 'vegetarian' your entire vampire life. He, Rosalie, and Bella have all been 'vegetarians' since their change, but Rosalie and Bella had others helping them after they were changed. Carlisle was the only one who did it with no outside help. Anyway, how about a tour of the house?"

Lissa allowed Alice to show her around the house, pointing out everyone's rooms (though of course no one slept) and studies. She'd stopped briefly outside one room, telling Lissa that it would be her room, and that Esme would jump at the chance to help decorate it if she'd like. The kitchen was huge, and Lissa came to find out that they used it for more than appearances. Alice explained that Nessie had been imprinted upon by a 'werewolf' named Jacob Black, and therefore Jacob's pack was at the house on a regular basis. ("They smell awful," Alice had further explained, "but they're friendly enough with us overall.").

They'd just walked back into the grandiose living room when the door opened and a child sped down the hallway and into the room. "Aunt Alice, guess what Mom bought me…" She skidded to a halt when she spied Lissa, and suddenly appeared quite bashful. "Hi," she said softly.

Lissa offered her own shy smile. She seemed to be 9, maybe 10. She didn't look quite the same as the others, with the faint flush to her skin and her warm brown eyes. She could hear the girl's heartbeat. Alice had been right. While the warm, pumping blood did tickle her throat, the sweet 'vampire' scent helped to overpower it for the most part. This must be Nessie, she thought. "Hi."

An older teen, maybe 18 or 19 with long brown hair, followed at a more leisurely pace, a few bags in each hand. She was obviously an immortal, with her flawless face and golden eyes. Process of elimination told Lissa that she had to be Bella. The young woman's eyes immediately locked on Lissa, and she studied her, though it didn't appear to be in a threatening manner.

"Great, you're home!" Alice said enthusiastically. "Bella, Nessie, this is Lissa. Lissa, this is Bella, Edward's wife, and their daughter Renesmee. Most of us simply call her Nessie, though it irks Bella."

"Nice to meet you both," Lissa said, her southern roots shining through even now.

Bella smiled, and Lissa felt just the tiniest bit relieved. "It's nice to meet you, Lissa. Alice hasn't scared you too much, yet, has she?"

Lissa chuckled. "Not yet. I didn't mind being dressed up like a life-sized doll. Alice has a good sense of fashion."

The smile on the brunette widened. "Fantastic! Alice has a new shopping buddy in you, so she can stop torturing me."

"Not hardly," snorted Alice. "Why would I stop trying when you are in an obvious need of a fashion education, Bella?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "It was worth a try."

Alice turned to Nessie. "And what did your mother buy you, darling?"

"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare!" Nessie exclaimed, taking a bag from Bella and pulling a thick, leather-bound book from within. It has thirty-seven plays and all of Shakespeare's poetry."

"That's wonderful. I'm sure it will keep you busy for a week, maybe." Lissa marveled at the thought of a child Nessie's age reading through any of William Shakespeare's work. She thought she remembered reading _Romeo and Juliet_ at some point before being bitten – many of her human memories were fuzzy – and she didn't remember it being exactly easy reading. "Tell me, Ness, did your mother manage to buy you some new clothes while the two of you were out?"

"Of course I did," Bella interjected. "And your niece picked out every single piece, so there will be no blaming me for anything that doesn't fit your fashion criteria."

Alice snickered. "Well, if Nessie picked them out, then they must look good!"

Throwing her arms in the air, Bella huffed, "I give up. Where's Edward?"

"At the cottage."

"Great. Come on, love, let's go show your father what you found today." Lissa watched as Bella and Nessie headed back out the front door.

"So…" Lissa said, feeling somewhat awkward. It seemed she'd met everyone other than Carlisle and this werewolf named Jacob. They all seemed to be okay with her, but who knew if that would last?

Alice seemed to bounce on the balls of her toes. "Ooooh, Carlisle's home!" she said happily, clapping her hands. Lissa couldn't hear him yet, but she'd figured out already that if Alice said something was happening, it probably was.

It didn't take long for her to hear a car coming up the drive. From what Lissa could tell just by listening, the car was being parked in the garage she'd seen on the way over. Separate from the house, but not too far away. She felt herself growing nervous, and imagined that if she'd still been human she'd have a pair of sweaty palms. It was surprising, how much she remembered about being human, despite the fact that it had been so long and that she had been living a lonely, nomadic existence since her change.

Soon, she could hear someone moving along the path to the front door. It opened, and a young man, early-to-mid twenties in age, stepped into the house. He had blonde hair and movie star good looks. She knew from his smell that he was a vampire, so she knew he wasn't Jacob. That left only one option…

When his eyes locked with hers, she knew something was different. He froze, studying her for a few seconds, though to Lissa it seemed to be hours. Then, just as suddenly, he seemed to come out of his trance. He offered his hand to her, which she took hesitantly.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was caught off guard for a moment there. Please forgive my rudeness. I'm Carlisle, and you must be Lissa."

"It's okay," Lissa said as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's nice to meet you, Carlisle, and I understand. It must be a bit of a shock coming into your home and finding a complete stranger."

Carlisle smiled. "Oh, it's not that, my dear. We've been expecting you for days. I'm sure you've had a chance to witness Alice's gift, by now. We've come to trust her visions. I was just surprised by the resemblance you bear to a picture I've seen of a young lady who went missing years ago."

"Really…" Lissa had an odd feeling about his admission. "By chance, what was her name?"

"Elizabeth Kent."

Lissa went rigid. That was her… it _had_ to be her. How many Elizabeth Kent's could have gone missing who resembled her, even in this immortal state? Someone was still looking for her? She couldn't imagine who. Her mother had died when she was just a toddler, and she'd never even heard mention of her father's name, much less met him. Her mother's parents had raised her up until their deaths, just months before she'd been bitten. It had been foster care those last several months. She didn't figure the foster care system looked for missing kids much once they reached eighteen.

Had there been posters? Were the posters still there? Lissa had a million questions, all of them floating in her head simultaneously thanks to her vampire brain.

She heard a throat clear, and her head whipped around to face Alice, whose expression was somewhere between sympathy and amusement.

"You okay?" the pixie asked, though from the look in her eyes, Lissa was sure she already knew the answer to that, and was asking more for Lissa's benefit.

"Yeah, sorry. It's just that… my real name is Elizabeth. Elizabeth Frances Kent."


	3. Chapter 3

The room was silent far too long for Lissa's liking. Alice's face confirmed Lissa's suspicion that the pixie brunette had known all along. Lissa appreciated the fact that Alice hadn't told everyone, especially when Lissa herself hadn't known.

Carlisle seemed to finally recover, and smiled in his comforting way. "Why don't we have a seat?" He sat on the sofa, and Lissa followed his example. It felt odd sitting. As an immortal, she didn't need the rest. "What do you remember from your human life?"

"I was born October 15, 1978, in South Carolina," Lissa began, recalling memories that had spent years in the back of her mind. "My mother was a college student; shortly after my birth we moved to Georgia where we lived with my grandparents. My mom died when I was two. After that, my grandparents raised me."

"Do you remember their names?"

Lissa nodded. "My mom's name was Frances. So was my grandmother's, though everyone called her Marie. My grandfather was Bill Kent. I think he was an attorney."

"What about your father?"

"I never knew him," she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "If Grammy and Papa knew who he was, they never told me. They died in a freak accident the summer before my fourteenth birthday. Without another known living relative, I ended up in foster care."

"The 'missing' poster says you were last seen Halloween 1992. Is that when you were changed?"

The memory of that night invoked a sigh. "Yes. I had been at a friend's brother's Halloween part, but I wasn't having fun so I went outside for some fresh air." Strange, she thought, that she couldn't even remember the name of the friend or their brother. Some of her human memories had, indeed, faded. It was a shame the memory of the rest of the night hadn't. "It was really dark. I didn't see his face, but I heard his voice. He told me I was special, and then I felt the worst pain ever in my wrist. It hurt too much for me to notice anything else after that, until I woke up some time later in a cabin in the woods, several hundred miles from my foster home. I saw my red eyes in a mirror and knew I could never go back."

Carlisle nodded. "That matches the information from your poster."

"I don't get it. Who could possibly be looking for me after all this time? I was in the system. Even if I were still human, I'd be 30 now. They don't spend time and resources looking for people who don't have family looking for them after they've reached eighteen."

"We could find out, I'm sure. We'll check online and see what we can dig up."

"On-line?" Lissa repeated, confused. "What's that?"

"Are you serious?" Emmett asked as he entered the room. "What about Xbox. You know what _that_ is, right?"

"Give her a break," Alice said, coming to Lissa's defense. "She's been avoiding humanity since 1992. Did you really think she would've kept up with technology?"

"Come with me, my dear," Carlisle said before Emmett could respond. "We'll go to my study and see what we can find out about you."

She readily stood, following the coven leader up to his study on the second floor. She'd seen what appeared to be computers in the living room; indeed, they'd looked like sleeker models of the computers she remembered from 8th grade all those years before, but she guessed Carlisle had suggested his study to give them some privacy.

"Have a seat," he told her in the study as he closed the door behind them. It was more of a gesture than anything, seeing as how everyone in the house would hear them with ease anyway. Lissa sat on a chair on the nearest side of a large mahogany desk; Carlisle sat opposite her in a leather chair. She watched as he opened his laptop and started it up. "When someone says they are going online," he explained in his ever patient voice, "they are going on the internet, a network of information that people can access all over the world from their computer or cell phone. The internet is also referred to as the world wide web."

Lissa studied the compact laptop. "Computers sure have changed since 1992. It's so… small. And the keyboard is permanently attached to the processor."

"Technology in general has changed dramatically since then," agreed Carlisle.

"What's a cell phone?"

"A cell phone, or cellular phone, is a portable telephone. People can call each other from wherever they are, provided they are within range of a cell phone tower. Cell phones do not need to be connected to any wires via a phone jack."

"Amazing," Lissa breathed, shaking her head. "And Emmett mentioned an Xbox… What's that?"

"It's a gaming system, much like Sega and Nintendo were popular back in the 1990s."

She recognized 'Nintendo,' even if she didn't remember ever playing it. "I understand. So, you think there will be something about me on this internet?"

Carlisle clicked on the icon to Internet Explorer. "I do. There's a wealth of information to be found on the internet. You just have to know how to look. Come over here, so you can see the screen." Lissa stood, walked around the desk, and watched. "The program I just opened is called Internet Explorer. It's a web browser, meaning it helps you navigate the internet. I have it set to Google as the homepage. Google is one of many search engines on the internet. There's a text box here," he explained, pointing to the appropriate spot on the screen. "You click in it, type in whatever you're looking for, and then click the button or press 'enter' on the keyboard. We'll put in your name and where you went missing, and see what happens."

Impressed, Lissa watched in silence as Carlisle entered 'Elizabeth Kent,' 'Georgia,' and 'missing' before pressing the enter key. A lot of words appeared on the screen, though Lissa wasn't sure how to make sense of everything. She didn't ask any questions though as Carlisle clicked on a phrase. It changed colors before the page changed to reveal a news article.

Lissa silently read as Carlisle scrolled.

**Georgia girl still missing after a decade**

Elizabeth Kent, the teenager from Valdosta, Georgia last seen Halloween of 1992, is still missing.

The girl had been attending a party at a friend's house when she disappeared. Police have found no leads since the disappearance.

The fourteen-year-old had been living in a foster home since the death of her grandparents several months prior. It wasn't until two months after her disappearance that police learned that the teenager's father was still alive.

James Riley Chalker IV, grandson of James Riley Chalker, Jr, founder of Chalker Industries, is still offering a one million dollar reward for any information leading to the safe return of his daughter.

"My father is alive?"

"That explains why someone is still looking, after all this time," Carlisle said gently. "Riley Chalker is the primary heir to a multi-billion dollar corporation. His father, Jim Chalker, is President and CEO of the company. I'm unsure why you didn't know about your father while your grandparents were still living, but it's clear that he at least now knows of your existence."

It was a lot for Lissa to take in. Her father was alive. Did he know about her while she was still alive? If he had, why hadn't he claimed her before? Of course, it really didn't matter at that point. She wasn't technically 'living' by human or modern science standards. "I can't go back," she said in a soft voice. "I'm supposed to be thirty, but I look like I'm fourteen. I'm going to look like I'm fourteen for the rest of this existence. There's no way I can go to him and tell him that I'm his long-lost daughter."

Carlisle offered a sad smile. "I'm afraid I have to agree with you, Lissa. I am sorry that you weren't able to learn of your father until now, but the most important rule in this immortal life is to keep our existence a secret from the humans."

"What do I do now?"

"I'm sure that Alice already alluded to this, but you are most welcome to join our family. We would love for you to stay, and our lifestyle would give you the opportunity to have a life that is a bit more 'human' than what most immortals experience."

"How so?"

"We've chosen to integrate into society. You can see that we have a house – a 'permanent' residence that we maintain. I currently hold a position at the Forks Hospital as a doctor. Up until two and a half years ago, Edward, Alice, and Bella were attending Forks High School as students. Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper had attended up until the year before that. If you choose to stay, we could have you enrolled in school. It's all part of the role we play. We won't be in Forks too much longer – another year or two at most, because humans tend to notice after a while that we don't age. When we leave, we'll move onto another town or city and start up a new 'life' there for a few years. Eventually we'll return back to Forks, after everyone who would possibly remember us has passed on."

"You're sure no one would mind if I stayed?" Lissa asked in hesitation.

"Alice already considers you her little sister. Everyone was excited when Alice shared her vision. Please trust me when I say that every member of this family wants you to stay, whether they've said it aloud or not."

Alice had been right back in the woods. Lissa didn't want to spend another seventeen years as a solitary nomad. Despite the fact that she didn't know any of the Cullens very well, she wanted somewhere to belong. If staying with this coven gave her that, then stay she would.

"I think I'd like to stay, then."


	4. Chapter 4

"We'll need at least a birth certificate," Carlisle told the others as they gathered for a family meeting later that day.

Since Lissa had told Carlisle she wanted to stay, he'd shared the news with the family (who had already expected as much, thanks to Alice, but had welcomed Lissa with open arms anyway. Esme had immediately begun fretting over Lissa having a room of her own. Lissa didn't think it was that big of a deal – vampires didn't sleep, after all – but she also recognized that she wouldn't be able to share a private "living space" with any of the others, since they were all bonded and would likely take part in activities that Lissa had no interest in witnessing.

As it turned out, though, Esme needn't have worried. Edward and Bella, having a place of their own not far from the main house, were more than happy to relinquish Edward's old room to Lissa. Lissa had been surprised by Esme's exuberance over the opportunity to redo the room. "We'll go shopping in Seattle for some new furniture!" she'd told Lissa, who was happy to be able to pick out her own things, though somewhat hesitant over the close proximity to humans that would accompany such a trip.

Now in the middle of their family meeting, Carlisle was initiating plans to help provide a cover story for Lissa, to prevent suspicions among the residents of Forks. "Adoption papers would be beneficial, so we won't have to worry about anyone making inquiries," continued the father figure of the family. "We've been here for several years already, so the people of Forks will be curious when they see a new face."

"I'll arrange a meeting with J. Jenks," Jasper said at once.

"I think it'll be better if I meet with J.," Bella replied from her spot on the sofa. Nessie was curled up between her and Edward. "You're likely to give the man a heart attack, as scared as he is of you Jasper. He isn't exactly the picture of health."

"It would be best if Bella went," Alice agreed. "J. was rather charmed by her two years ago, and would be amenable to her taking over all transactions for the family. One smile and she'll have him eating out of her hand."

Jasper wanted to argue, but he knew is wife well enough to know to trust her visions and she must've had one about J. Jenks. "All right," he relented with a nod.

"We'll need details for the birth certificate," Carlisle continued. "I don't think it would be best to use Lissa's full real name on the certificate. There is still an active missing alert out for her."

"No, you definitely don't want to use Kent – or Frances for that matter," Alice told Carlisle. "Lissa could theoretically pass as her own daughter; enough time has passed for this to be possible, and since Lissa went missing at fourteen, no one knows what happened to her after that, but then her biological father would try to gain custody, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't agree to never seeing her again. You don't want to get into a legal battle with Riley Chalker – he won't stop just because we disappear, and he has the resources to track us down wherever we move. We'll need a different middle and last name and obviously a different birthday. At the same time, you can have J. draw up adoption papers, keeping the new name, at least while we're still in Forks. Adopting a fourteen-year-old and changing her name suddenly to Cullen will raise eyebrows. When we get the papers drawn up for everyone when it's time to leave Forks, we can give her name as Elizabeth Cullen… or Elizabeth Masen, if Edward decides to take his birth name. They could pass as siblings."

Carlisle nodded. "Perhaps we should choose a name that won't readily be associated with Lissa's human life."

"She could use one of our old surnames for the time being," Esme suggested, speaking for the first time. "We aren't using them at the moment, and it won't interfere with Lissa using Cullen or Masen in the future."

"That will work out perfectly," Alice said with a grin. "Which surname would you prefer, Lissa? There's Brandon, Platt, McCarty, and Whitlock."

The answer slipped rolled off her tongue in an instant, and part of her brain pondered why. "Whitlock." She watched as Alice's grin grew, and even saw a flicker of amusement on Jasper's face. "What…?" Lissa asked, confused.

"Whitlock was my human surname," Jasper informed her.

"Oh," Lissa replied with a shrug. "It tugged at a human memory, so far back though that I can't recall clearly. No one in my immediate family was named Whitlock though; I would remember that much."

Carlisle smiled. "Elizabeth Whitlock sounds fine. Which middle name would you prefer?"

That was up to her, too? There were so many possibilities… Of course, it technically didn't matter which name she chose, so long as it wasn't Frances, because it was only for appearance. Still, Lissa wanted to pick something that sounded right. Elizabeth Marie sounded okay, but she wasn't that fond of it… nor was she fond of Elizabeth Jean, which knocked out the other two family names she was aware of. She recalled a friend from middle school, Melissa; Elizabeth Melissa didn't flow well in her head.

She could see Edward's slightly amused expression out of the corner of her eye, and it frustrated her. Here she was, trying to make a thought out decision, and he found her mind-ramblings funny. It sure was annoying having someone who could hear her every thought just by being in close proximity to her.

"Jane," she said, tossing Edward a look that she hoped conveyed her annoyance with him.

"Elizabeth Jane Whitlock it is," Carlisle said with a smile. "Out of curiosity, what made you choose Jane?"

Lissa let out a soft sigh. "It's the name I would've given my daughter, if I'd lived long enough to have one."

Lissa felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked over to see Rosalie smiling sadly down at her. She didn't know Rosalie's story, but the look in her eyes seemed to express sympathy, even an understanding, over how Lissa felt about never being able to have children. Even having been changed at fourteen, at a time when younger teenagers didn't think about such things, Lissa had existed long enough to realize what she was missing.

"What about her birthday?" Bella asked, taking mental notes so she could provide all this information to J.

"April 15, 1994," came Alice's instant reply. "It's her half birthday. We can still say she's fourteen, but she'll be eligible to enroll at Forks High School, instead of being stuck at Forks Middle School. We already know the teachers at Forks High, so we can help her adjust more quickly to the environment."

"What do you think, dear?" Esme asked Lissa with a smile.

"It's fine," Lissa said, "But I haven't been around humans since I _was_ a human…"

"You won't slip up," Alice told her confidently.

She shook her head. "I know you see the future and all, but I've never tested it…"

"And you've never tasted human blood, so you won't crave it the same way someone who has tasted it does. You'll still feel it, but you'll be able to control your thirst. I promise."

"You've never tasted human blood?" Carlisle repeated with interest.

"Never."

The others, apart from Bella, had heard this already, yet they still seemed surprised. "But you woke up alone," Esme pointed out. "You were a newborn, and there wasn't a mature vampire around to guide you. How did you control your thirst?"

It was a valid question. Indeed, looking back Lissa herself sometimes wondered how she'd managed. "I kept to the forests. After seeing my red eyes in the mirror, I felt like a monster. I felt the burning of my thirst, but I didn't want to be any more of a monster than I had to, so I stayed in the deepest, most remote areas of the forest where no human would dare travel without wilderness survival experience. One day I lost control and drained a bear. I realized that day that I could feed on animals to keep the thirst at bay. The flavor is off, but it satiates me."

Carlisle's face lit up with excitement at the revelation. "You really are quite amazing, Lissa. We have naturally come to trust Alice's visions over the years, but even I can see that you should have little trouble abstaining from human blood. The temptation is far greater when you've tasted it prior."

Alice bounced on the balls of her feet. "So we're settled that Bella will contact J. to arrange for a birth certificate and adoption papers for an Elizabeth Jane Whitlock. He can set the date on the adoption papers for a week or two from now, so that we can have time for Carlisle and Esme to plan a "trip" to wherever Lissa will be adopted from, for appearances. Today is Wednesday, and I want to take Lissa shopping on Saturday… perhaps in Oregon instead of Seattle, so we stay further from home lest someone from Forks see Lissa before she's been 'adopted.'"

"Hold on…" Lissa said before Alice could continue – and she could clearly see Alice had more to say. "I can't be around humans that soon."

"Of course you can, stop doubting yourself," Alice replied, rolling her eyes. "A few days of human lessons and you'll be more than ready."

"… Human lessons?"

"Of course. Humans move much slower than vampires do… and not nearly as graceful, though you won't be able to completely hide that part. We don't blink automatically, or move our chests to breathe, or exhibit poor posture like the humans do. You have to learn how to do all of that again so they don't suspect you're less than human."

"And you think two and a half days of human lessons are going to be enough?"

"Lissa, vampires have perfect recall. You know this; you could recite everything that's been said in this conversation if you wanted to. We managed to teach Bella enough in five minutes to fool her human father; two days will be more than enough time."

Lissa knew that Alice knew more than the others, simply because of her gift, but she still wasn't sure she believed her right then.

After one day, Lissa was convinced that Alice had purposely left out one crucial fact: learning to act human was beyond frustrating.

It went against Lissa's very nature and instincts to walk slower consistently. Sitting for long periods of time felt odd, because she was quite comfortable standing. Remembering to move her shoulders to look like she was breathing, or twitch every so often, or cross her legs on one side and then switch to the other side, or blink several times a minute all felt so unnatural.

Alice was also getting Lissa used to wearing contacts; she had stored some away for a "rainy day," or so she'd said when she handed the blue contacts to Lissa. The younger vampire didn't like the way they clouded her vision – she could see everything, including the imperfections in the contact lenses themselves. It was a bit annoying. The blue contacts against her already gold eyes had resulted in an attractive shade of green. Alice had explained that the contacts might end up being necessary while Lissa was out and about in Forks – she wasn't sure yet, but she thought someone might say something if they adopted another kid with the exact same shade of golden eyes. Bella still wore contacts if she went into town for any reason (not that she did all that often) – the residents of Forks would surely notice that her eyes had changed color otherwise, though Bella's contacts were brown.

Then there was the revelation that from time to time, she might be forced to eat human food.

"We tend to get away with not eating for the most part," Alice explained. "People are more fixed on our looks, when they do look at us, than they are on what we're eating. We always buy lunches at school, and appear to eat them, but we usually don't."

"What happens if we do have to eat human food?" Lissa asked with a grimace. The thought of a cheeseburger revolted her, even though she'd loved them growing up.

"It will sit in your stomach until you can get away and regurgitate it."

"Ugh."

"I know it's not appealing, but fortunately it doesn't happen often. You can get away with pretending to drink something through a straw and people will leave well enough alone. It's not like all teenage girls eat lunch anyway."

When Alice wasn't giving lessons, Lissa was getting to know the members of the coven. She was easily the closest to Alice so far. Whether it was because of Alice's bubbly personality or the fact that Alice wouldn't leave her alone for longer than five minutes, Lissa wasn't sure, but Alice had instantly become a big sister to her.

Esme was a mother hen, in every way, shape, and form, but she was incredibly kind and gentle. The physically eldest vampire seemed content to dote on Lissa more than she did the others (which Lissa suspected had a lot to do with the fact that she was physically just barely a teenager. Lissa hardly remembered her own mother other than in photos she'd seen growing up, but she imagined her own mother would've been a lot like Esme if she'd lived.

Carlisle was the leader, but he wasn't someone who demanded authority and respect. His calm respect for others naturally led others to respect him in return. Lissa had the opportunity, that first day, to hear his story (and subsequently learn just how old he was). She was impressed that he'd been a 'vegetarian' for several centuries, even while interacting with humans. Even though everyone called him by his given name, Lissa could see they thought of him as a father figure.

Besides Alice, Lissa felt the most at ease around Emmett. He made her laugh and seemed like a genuine goof ball. She found this even more amusing considering he was physically older than his other 'siblings' and definitely larger. He'd begun to teach her the fine art of playing what he referred to as 'modern' video games (Lissa barely remembered the Nintendo system her grandparents had bought her – boy had video games changed since then!) and Lissa quickly developed a competitive streak toward the games. She was determined to learn to play the games well enough to beat Emmett on every one.

Edward was closest in age, physically, to Lissa, and she had a suspicion that they were going to end up playfully picking on each other. Annoyed with the fact that he could hear her thoughts, and the facial expressions he'd make when he heard something she didn't want him to hear, Lissa found ways to get him back, such as flicking small objects at him or teasing him much like a little sister would tease a slightly older brother. She'd expected someone to reprimand her for it at first, but everyone seemed more amused than everything (which, to Lissa's delight, annoyed Edward).

Lissa wasn't nearly as close to Bella, Rosalie, Jasper, or Renesmee. Nessie seemed a bit shy around her, and Lissa in turn felt a bit shy around Nessie. Hers was another story that Lissa had the privilege of hearing so soon, and Lissa wasn't sure of what kind of relationship she and Nessie would have just yet. Bella and Rosalie seemed nice enough, but a bit more on the serious side.

Likewise, Jasper was rather serious, though not unkind, but Lissa just wasn't sure what to make of him. The knowledge that his human surname had been Whitlock was nagging at the back of her mind, but she had no idea why. He exuded a different kind of authority than Carlisle did, one that reminded Lissa of Melissa's father, who at the time of Lissa's disappearance had been an officer in the army.

One thing was for sure, though. There was something more to Jasper Whitlock Hale than what meets the eye.


	5. Chapter 5

The painting was obviously old; yet it hung on the wall of Carlisle's study in remarkable condition. Four men stood on a balcony, watching the scene below. Lissa recognized Carlisle at once, but she wondered about the other three men. They were dressed in clothing reminiscent of the late seventeenth or perhaps even early eighteenth century, and appeared to be aristocrats.

Lissa had spent the last half hour hearing about Carlisle's past. He'd told her what he remembered of his human life and of the beginning of this life as a vampire in London in the mid 1600s. As Carlisle had paused, her eyes had settled upon this painting.

"That's you, in this painting," she said softly, pointing to the blonde-haired figure she knew to be Carlisle. "Who are the other men?"

Carlisle glanced at the painting in question. "Aro, Caius, and Marcus," he explained, recalling the time period. "I spent a few decades living with the Volturi."

At the mention of the Italian vampires, Lissa cringed. It was the first time she'd seen faces to match the names she'd heard. Theirs weren't the only names she'd heard, but she remembered a nomad explaining that Aro, Caius, and Marcus were the ones in charge, with Aro being at the very top. She found herself wondering which figure was Aro.

Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by Carlisle, who watched Lissa curiously. "Have you met the Volturi, my dear?"

"No," Lissa murmured, shaking her head, "but I've heard of them."

Carlisle could tell there was more to the story than that. "What have you heard?"

"They enforce the law for our kind. Some vampires believe… well, they believe the Volturi aren't entirely good. I've heard that Aro likes to collect talents."

"Many vampires are grateful to the Volturi for keeping the peace and protecting our way of life," Carlisle told her. "There are some who suspect the Volturi have ulterior motives. I have found that Aro is, indeed, interested in the talents that others possess. Most of the Volturi guard have a talent or gift that benefits the Volturi."

"Like Jane," muttered Lissa, remembering the way Jane's name had struck fear in some of the nomads she'd met.

Carlisle nodded calmly. "Her reputation precedes her. The Volturi typically stay in Italy." He paused, studying Lissa long enough for the younger vampire to wonder if perhaps Carlisle could secretly read minds as well. "I'm curious. If you've never met the Volturi or their guard, what led to this apprehension?"

"Has Edward told you about… what I can do?"

"He has not. If you asked him not to say anything, he'll respect that."

"I can protect myself," she explained vaguely, her voice barely above a whisper. "I remember being able to make things happen while I was human, but it's much stronger now. I try not to use it, but there was a time where I had no other choice." She stared at the painting, not seeing it as she remembered what she'd been able to do that day. "I'm worried."

"About what?"

"That if Aro finds out what I can do, he might try to collect me."

Carlisle put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He understood her fear. Aro had his sights on Alice, Edward, and Bella, and though he knew Alice was looking out for any decision on the Volturi's part that would negatively affect them, he still worried. "You're a part of this family now, Lissa. We'll keep you safe."

Lissa offered a small smile. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"You are quite welcome. Now, I imagine you'll want to get ready. It's my understanding that you have a shopping date with Alice today. She's just itching to build a new wardrobe for you. She did the same for Bella, after she was turned, but to Alice's dismay Bella just isn't as interested in fashion."

* * *

Arms laden with bags, Lissa followed Alice as the dark-haired pixie exited the department store into the drifting snow. It was odd knowing the weight of the bags was enough to leave the average human teenager out of breath, because as far as Lissa was concerned, she could've been carrying feathers. Equally odd was going around bundled up in a sweater, jeans, winter coat, and scarf, when the frigid temperatures didn't leave her feeling cold.

She still couldn't believe Alice had handed over her credit card without batting an eye. She'd kept a running tally of the purchases, and Alice had already spent over $1500 on clothes. Wouldn't Carlisle have something to say about that?

She'd been pleasantly surprised that, so far, being around humans hadn't been too much of a temptation. Alice had sent Lissa hunting with Emmett the previous evening, and having dulled her thirst for a while, Lissa could tolerate being in close proximity to mortals. The fire, however muted, still burned in her throat as she smelled their blood, but having survived solely on animal blood for the entirety of this existence had made it easier for her to abstain. Lissa supposed Alice had been right about that after all.

"Are we going home now?" Lissa asked Alice upon spotting the car.

"No, just dropping off our bags," Alice replied. "There are a few more stores I want to visit."

"Alice, we already spent a small fortune. Won't Carlisle be upset over our spending so much money?"

Alice shook her head. "No. We have plenty, and he won't be surprised by the bill. Trust me, Bella's wardrobe cost ten times what we've spent here today. As long as we don't attract unnecessary attention to ourselves, Carlisle won't mind in the least. That's why we're dropping off these bags before making any other purchases. We'd look a little out of place carrying that many bags without appearing out of breath."

* * *

Lissa heard the sweet melody coming from the main house as Alice pulled the car into the garage several hours later. She could tell someone was playing a piano, as opposed to the music coming from a CD or other recording. Having not seen anyone use the piano in the great room, she wondered who was playing now.

"Edward's here," Alice announced as they both stepped out of the car.

Even now that she knew their scents, she couldn't figure how Alice knew for sure Edward was there. All of their scents were all over the property. Then, there was the sheer randomness of Alice's statement. What did it matter whether or not Edward was there?

She had to ask. "How can you tell?"

Alice opened the trunk and started taking out bags. "That's Edward playing the piano. He's the best musician in the family."

"I'd wondered if anyone actually played that piano."

"Rose plays from time to time, but it's mainly Edward's piano."

Lissa couldn't help but admire Edward's talent as she continued to listen to the melody while helping Alice with the bags. The moment they entered the house, though, Alice took the bags from Lissa.

"I'll just take care of these," she told the girl with a somewhat mischievous grin. Before Lissa could ask Alice about the grin, Alice had disappeared up the stairs.

Nothing better to do, Lissa decided she might as well watch Edward play. Walking gracefully into the great room, she saw Edward seated alone at the piano, his fingers gliding over the keys as he played an intricate melody she'd never heard before. It didn't sound like any of the composers she'd studied growing up.

She waited in silence as he finished playing before speaking. When his fingers lifted from the keys, she said, "That was beautiful."

Edward smiled. "Thanks. Do you play?"

"I took a few lessons while I was human," Lissa replied evasively. She'd actually taken lessons from the time she was four up until her grandparents' deaths, but it had been ages, and she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she'd been rather good at it.

One eyebrow raised, Edward smirked. "Nearly ten years of lessons, three times a week, is a bit more than a 'few,' I'd say."

She watched him in confusion for a split second before her confusion morphed into a glare. "Stay out of…"

"Come here," he said, cutting her off as he slid over and patted the free spot on the piano bench.

Lissa huffed, but she took a seat next to Edward. "Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?"

He shrugged. "Once or twice. Can I hear you play?"

"I haven't played in years."

"It's like riding a bike," Edward said. "Or so I've been told, seeing how I don't recall riding a bicycle as a human and I've had no need as an immortal. Once you learn, you don't really forget."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't know what to play."

He gestured to the keys. "Play whatever you like. Unless you're scared…" He got a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I promise not to tease you too much if you're a bit rusty…"

Narrowing her eyes, Lissa glared hard at Edward. "Moonlight Sonata work for you?"

His eyes flashed surprise briefly before Edward schooled his face to one of impassiveness. "I suppose so," he told her casually.

With an impressive eye roll, Lissa rested her fingers on the keys a few seconds before beginning to play. She could've easily picked one movement out of the three movements in the sonata to play, but she figured if Edward was going to be a twit, she'd have to show him up, just a little bit. She eased into the first movement, marveling at how easily it came back to her. She knew the first movement, slow and steady as it was, would be the easiest.

She half expected him to comment on the pace of the piece she'd chosen, but he sat beside her in silence, his hands resting in his lap as she played. She wondered what he was thinking, and for once she envied the fact that he could hear everyone else's thoughts (except Bella's, of course, which Lissa thought was awesome, since she knew how much it frustrated Edward at times that he couldn't hear what Bella was thinking unless she chose to let him into her mind).

Lissa moved into the second movement with ease, her fingers lightly dancing across the keys. With her immortal mind and ability to think of many things at once, not to mention her keen sense of smell, she was well aware that Alice had returned from presumably putting away Lissa's new wardrobe. She thought she detected an air of satisfaction in Alice's stance and expression (which she saw from the corner of her eye), but she couldn't imagine what Alice was so satisfied about.

She was preparing to move into the third movement when she realized she was drawing a greater audience. She wasn't about to look away from the piano now, but she definitely smelled Carlisle and Esme... Jasper, too. She hadn't planned on performing for everyone; why hadn't Edward mentioned that anyone else was home? As much as she didn't want to make a show of playing, she couldn't very well stop at that point. She had something to prove, and playing the third movement impeccably would definitely shut Edward up, at least briefly. It was the part that Lissa had worked the hardest to learn, because the notes were played rapidly, but she'd managed as a human.

With a certain glee, she realized that playing the piano was SO much easier now than it had been as a human. Remembering the notes was just like remembering how to ride a bike, and with her vampire speed, it was only too easy getting her fingers to fly across the keys.

Smiling, she held the last note before lifting her fingers from the keys. Lissa turned, fully prepared to give Edward a good smirk, but his clapping caught her off guard. As the others joined in, she felt like blushing, though she knew it was impossible in her immortal state, so she settled for looking back down at the keys.

"I knew you were good, just from hearing your thoughts, but you're far too modest because I had no idea you were _that_ good," he told her.

"Thank you," she murmured, still feeling a bit bashful.

"Really, dear, you are incredible," Esme spoke up as she walked around to the other end of the piano.

Carlisle followed suit, wrapping an arm around Esme's waist. "I think we've finally found someone who can give Edward a run for his money musically."

Lissa noticed Alice once again out of the corner of her eye, and glanced over to see Alice looking positively smug. Suddenly everything clicked.

"You set me up!" Lissa exclaimed, pointing a finger at Alice. "You purposely left me down here, knowing I would watch Edward playing, knowing he would hear what I was thinking, knowing he would challenge me and that I wouldn't be able to back down, knowing they would all hear!"

Alice laughed. "Well, you wouldn't have played otherwise. Clearly, you ought to be playing the piano more, so I just gave you a bit of a nudge. It's not as if I didn't already know it would work out…"

Lissa let out a small irritated huff, but that only seemed to further amuse Alice.

"Go on and pretend to be annoyed as long as you'd like. When you're done, I want you to come and look at a few other outfits online. If you like them, I'll order them for you."

"_More_ clothes?" Lissa asked incredulously. "Haven't you bought half of Seattle already?"

"A girl can never have too many clothes…"

* * *

Lissa sat on the couch, watching some show where women were competing to date one man. Emmett had explained to her that it was called 'reality television' because the people weren't actors. Lissa thought the whole idea was absurd, but she wasn't that interested in watching what was on television anyway. She was bored, but everyone else was wrapped up in their own projects. Esme was up in her room, working on renovation plans she had for a house they owned in another state. Carlisle was at the hospital. Edward and Bella were at their cottage with Nessie, and Emmett and Rosalie had gone elsewhere for the day. Alice was shopping (Lissa had declined, not feeling like going anywhere), and Jasper was home, but he was busy reading a book on the Revolutionary War.

She wasn't sure if she should interrupt Jasper, but she figured if he got too annoyed, she could just apologize and go back to watching the ridiculous drama that humans found entertaining.

"Jasper, how old are you?"

The elder vampire glanced up from his book. "Nineteen."

"No, your _real_ age."

He arched an eyebrow. Lissa saw a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Older than you."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. How long ago were you born?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious. I know when everyone else was born. You haven't told me a thing about your past."

Jasper set his book down and studied Lissa. "I was born in 1844."

"So, you were changed during the Civil War?"

"Yes."

"Who changed you?"

"Lissa…" came Esme's soft rebuke from upstairs. "It isn't polite to ask so many personal questions."

"It's all right, Esme," Jasper said. "I don't mind." He turned to Lissa. "Her name was Maria. She, along with two other mature vampires, was creating an army of newborns. They chose humans who they thought would make good soldiers."

"The southern wars," Lissa said in understanding.

"What do you know about them?" Jasper asked, seemingly surprised.

"The southern covens were fighting for control of the major cities and populated areas, and began creating newborn armies to gain 'feeding rights,' because newborns are so much stronger than mature vampires. The human death toll rose so high that humans began to suspect something unusual, so the Volturi stepped in. Creating newborn armies became something of a taboo, and the remaining covens have had to exercise greater caution."

"How do you know about the southern wars?"

"I ran into the occasional nomad from time to time. Some were friendly, and we talked. So you were part of a newborn army?"

"Yes, for many years."

"Is that how you got all those scars?"

Smiling ruefully, Jasper glanced at his bare forearm. "Yes. I trained the newborns Maria brought into the coven."

"What did you do when the newborns were no longer newborns? I can't imagine they would've been as much use to Maria after their strength began to wane."

He stared at his arm in silence, tracing a particular bite mark. When he didn't immediately reply, Lissa wondered if she had finally crossed the line in her questions. She was about to apologize and let him be when she heard his voice, much softer than before. "Maria had me destroy the ones who were no longer of use to her."

"I'm sorry," Lissa apologized at once, feeling bad. "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine. My time with Maria doesn't bring back many pleasant memories, but it was a long time ago. As a part of this family now, I believe it's just as important for you to know of our histories as it is for us to know of yours."

The way Jasper looked at her just then made feel uneasy, as if he knew she was holding back much about her past. She felt the need to move the conversation along before he began asking her any questions. "What about your human family?"

"I lived on my family's farm in Texas with my parents, my brother James, and my sister Julia. I was the eldest. James was two years my junior, and Julia was three years younger than James."

"What was that like, living on a farm in the 1800s?"

Jasper chuckled. "It was very different from life today. We didn't have all of the technology that kids have these days, but we didn't have as much free time, either. We did go to school – it was a one-room school house that doubled as the town church on Sundays – but we also had a lot of work to do, helping out on the farm. Julia helped our ma around the house, while James and I helped our pa with the farm work. It was hard work, but that's the way it was – everyone helped out."

"What happened to them?"

"I don't know. I never saw them again after I left to fight in the war. It wasn't safe for me to return home after I was changed."

She had to admit he had a point.

"I've told you a little about my past. I think it's my turn to ask you a few questions."


End file.
